TUNIS — In an interview with Tunisian Attessia TV on June 7, Tunisian black artist Salah Misbah accused prominent Tunisian artist Lotfi Bouchnak of racism, saying, “On one occasion when the Ministry of Culture honored us, Bouchnak rejected this on the pretext of me being a ‘wasif’ (servant),” referring to his dark skin.

A photo published by the company Nana Tunisie on June 9 caused much controversy on Facebook because it showed the face of a white woman whose face was painted various skin colors. Activists believe this photo is a type of racism in which blackface is used — blackface is considered deeply offensive.

Comments and reactions were mostly negative. Nana Tunisie deleted the photo and published a post June 12, stressing that it is committed to rejecting racism. The company said it supports all Tunisian women and attached a post with pictures of women of different skin colors.

Speaking on racist practices in Tunisia, Yamina Thabet, president of the nongovernmental organization Tunisian Association for the Support of Minorities, told Al-Monitor that African and dark-skinned Tunisian students suffer racism every day through words or other painful behavior. She said one of the most important problems is that people face racism with silence or denial, making it even more difficult to eliminate.